Lisa Myobun Freinkel received her PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of California at Berkeley, where she completed a dissertation with Stephen Greenblatt on Renaissance literature. She received her lay ordination as a Zen Buddhist at Butsugenji Temple in Eugene, Oregon. An award-winning teacher and scholar, Freinkel is also a volunteer medical chaplain and a meditation instructor in university, prison and hospital environments. She teaches English and Comparative Literature at the University of Oregon where she also serves as Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies.